Reliever Cla Meredith was supposed to get Tuesday night off. Didn’t happen. Then he was supposed to get Wednesday night off. Didn’t happen.
I can live with the loss. I can even live with Albert Pujols and his ridiculous pose after the home run. It’s cause for celebration when your team avoids getting swept at home in September and breaks a seven-game losing streak. Besides, Pujols will have to stand in against the Padres’ pitchers at some point next year. I don’t sweat that stuff.
But what in the world is Bruce Bochy doing with his young reliever? Meredith has been unhittable most of the season, but there are other guys in the bullpen who can get batters out every once in a while and it’d be nice to see Meredith’s right arm still attached to the rest of his body come the playoffs and beyond.
For the record, here is Meredith’s week:
9/21: 1.1 IP, 14 pitches
9/22: 0.1 IP, 5 pitches
9/23: off
9/24: 2.0 IP, 24 pitches
9/25: 1.1 IP, 17 pitches
9/26: 1.0 IP, 12 pitches
9/27: 0.0 IP, 2 pitches
I defend Bochy a lot — probably moreso than some folks are comfortable with — but this is just plain wrong. It puts unnecessary strain on Meredith’s arm and sends a bad message to the rest of the bullpen.
Seriously, if you’re going to give the guy a day off, just do it. If you have to tell him not to come to the ballpark, do it. Bringing in Meredith even for one batter on Wednesday was irresponsible, and I’d be saying that even if he’d gotten Pujols out.
re: 90
I agree, but who says Linebrink is even the third-best reliever? Try someone else there.
I think the Yankees and Mets lead the Zito race. Any other team is a distant third.
8-3 LA. We lose tonight. All tied up.
Both NY teams have talked about not being interested in Zito, that may be true of the Yankees, but the Mets have SERIOUS pitching issues, they SHOULD be in on the Zito-stakes
#102: I don’t agree, but it’s an interesting idea. Which of the following would you like to see Bochy try in the seventh — Adkins, Cassidy, Embree, Seanez, or Sweeney?
On another note, no love for Gonzalez or Cameron in THT’s look at defense. I’d like to see the universe where Berkman is a better first baseman than Gonzo, because I’ll bet I’m filthy rich there.
8-3? Come on Rox…
I agree with Kevin and Mike_martin from #37.
it’s just not that conclusive. there’s always the other side of the argument with things like this. While you may argue that you’d say the same thing if he got Pujols out, you can’t deny that your tone and analysis is colored by the outcome. If we had won the game, there would be one or two posts something like this:
“Great win! Bringing in Cla was iffy, but good thing he only had face one batter, and one he had recent success against.”
and that’d be it.
re: 106
I’m not sure there is a great option there, Geoff. I like Cassidy.
But I remember Richard saying Linebrink was our seventh or eighth-best reliever one night.
Damned Rox, got no pride at all, can’t wait to start bow huntin. Are the giants gonna be any better. My sister from the bay area says the Giants are up for the series and want to knock the dawgs out more then anything, but one team is playing for a POS, the other as string. We shall see. Ain’t nothing easy for this team.
Rally caps…go Rox!
8-5 LA
re: 106
On the fielding, I think the Padres have lots of guys who have been second or third best at their position in the league. And they continue to be No. 1 in defensive efficiency in the majors.
8-6… keep it goin
Here come them Rox… 8-6 LA.
dumbass got picked off second. sheesh.
re 110
Any reason the ‘Backs will be more ‘up’ than the Giants? At least in that series the Giants have a hatred of the Dodgers going back a ways.
Philosophical Question: would you rather play before or after the Dodgers? Me, I like after, like today. Like to go into the game knowing I have to Win, sort of like picking to go on Defense in the first period of college FB overtime.
Be a hero, Vinny C.!
Ianetta singles. should be 8-7 if Baker isn’t napping on 2nd.
VINNY FRIGGIN CASTILLA!
8-7…GO ROX!
Adios Billingsley
VINNY! – okay, it was a single…vinny.
Rob Neyer pointed out that Padres catchers have 30 HRs and 103 RBIs.
Kevin…Baseball history is littered with relievers who pitch 80-100 innings in a season and be ultra productive…only to see the following seasons marred by injury and poor performance. For every Goose, Eck, Hoffy, or Mariano there are 5-10 Farnsworth’s, BK Kim’s, Todd Van Poppel’s, Bill Pulsifer’s, Tom Wilson’s, etc, etc. I am scared that this whipping that Cla is taking will shorten his effective years on the Pads.
Peter…I don’t hang Boch on that one decision…I just tighten the noose. His in game tactcs have been average at best during his tenure. Our overall record has been dismal. Now, I have always given him a pass b/c it was the Pads we were talking about. A poor team that was being handled well by a decent manager. Now that the Pads are starting to show some consistant talent, the gaping hole that is in game managing has started to show. He has generally been handling the bully well, the catching situation has been his best effort yet, but that does not erase the poor job he has done when it comes to pinch hitting, overuse of relievers, poor tactical defensive positioning, poor bunting decisions…I can go on.
Clayton, I like to play at the same time…can I order that?
Win shares has Barfield as the second best fielder in the NL behind Hudson.
Second time CO bats around in four innings, four Dodger pitchers used already.
Even with missed time, Greene is tied for fourth in the NL.
Adios Beimel…next up, Aaron Sele to face Atkins w/ bases loaded.
Cameron is second among center fielders.
8-8 in Denver
rockies take the lead.
Rocks take the lead…wooohooo
Sac Fly
10-8 ROX
Vinny scores the go-ahead run.
Roberts is second among left fielders behind Endy Chavez. I can’t believe that THT guy picked Soriano. He doesn’t try unless an assist is involved.
Giles is second among right fielders behind Randy Winn.
48 pitches in the 4th for dodger pitchers. 7 runs allowed.
10-8 Rockies.
this is gonna be a long ass game.
Catcher and third base are weak spots defensively. But everywhere else is an extreme positive.
Meredith has by far been our best reliever. Trevor is a distant number two, but he’s been significantly better than our #3 which is a tie between Linebrink , Sweeney and Embree. Adkins is a step down from them. Cassidy is about two steps lower than him. Seanez has just been bad (small sample).
re: 138
pitch count thru 4…..
LAD: 113
COL: just 78
Through 4 innings, the Rockies have 14 hits and 6 walks.
10-9 rockies, one in, still no outs in top of 5th. I hate these games.
Friar,
It’s still only 10-8 (for now). Bases are loaded.
looks like kent didn’t score after all. Bases loaded now.
whatever. both these teams are retarded.
The Padres are 90.1 percent to win the division.
i’m setting the o/u at 33… and that’s only ’cause of runner fatigue in the late innings.
James Loney 3-3, 7rbi
Tie Ball game in Col..Middle of 5
Time out for — I kid you not — a video tribute to Vinny Castilla.
It’s his last game in Colorado.